Table construction



Sept. 5, 1967 Y K. D. SCHREYER 3,339,504

TABLE CONSTRUCTION 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 9, 1966 H63 V 256 INVENTOR 216 KENNETH D. SCHREYER Filed May 9, .1966

5 Sheets-Sheet 2 QUE OON

Sept. 5, 1967 K. D. SCHREYER 3,339,504

I TABLE CONSTRUCTION Filed May 9, 1966 v 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 205 ZOIN 258 F1610 em 3 I 303 222 lNVENTOR 300 an 252 KENNETH D. SCHREYER Sept. 5, 1967 o. SCHREYER 3,339,504

TABLE CONSTRUCTION Filed May 9, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 fsoi FIG] I IINVENTOR KENNETH D. SCHREYER Sept. 5, 1967 K. D. SCHREYER 3,339,504

TABLE CONSTRUCTION Filed May 9, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet com N3 9 m3 com wow m M L Y 3 L H x M IN .l||M.\k T w r Du 5 i m s w NH r P IU 9T M f M D M m A 3 mv q mm? m3 0% L m E i 4 W FUN E XLk K qNm VN m m m Ml United States Patent ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE There is disclosed a table comprising a top including a flat top plate, an edging extending around the periphery of the top plate and disposed adjacent to the underside thereof, the edging including an attachment flange and a dependent side flange on the outer edge thereof and extending downwardly therefrom, the attachment flange being connected to the top plate as by welding at points spaced inwardly with respect to the outer periphery of the top plate, a reinforcing sheet disposed adjacent to the underside of the top plate within the edging, the reinforcing sheet including a plurality of longitudinally extending spaced apart attachment portions disposed adjacent to the underside of the top plate and a plurality of longitudinally extending reinforcing ribs disposed between adjacent pairs of the attachment portions and spaced from the underside of the top plate, the attachment portions being secured as by welding to the underside of the top plate and to the underside of the adjacent one of the attachment flanges, an apron assembly arranged adjacent to the underside of the top and including longitudinally extending front and rear aprons and a pair of laterally extending side aprons all disposed within the outer periphery of the dependent side flange, the front and rear aprons each having a mounting flange on the upper side thereof and disposed against respective ones of the attachment portions and secured thereto as by welding, and a plurality of legs respectively secured to the apron assembly for supporting the table upon an underlying support surface.

This invention relates to tables, and particularly to improved structures for mounting aprons on table tops.

It is an important object of the invention to provide an improved table including a top having a substantially flat top plate, an edging extending around the periphery of the top plate and disposed adjacent to the underside thereof, the edging including an inwardly extending attachment flange and a dependent side flange on the outer edge thereof and extending downwardly therefrom, means interconnecting the attachment flange and the top plate at points spaced inwardly with respect to the outer periphery of the top plate, a reinforcing sheet disposed adjacent to the underside of the top plate and within the edging, the reinforcing sheet including a plurality of longitudinally extending spaced apart attachment porti-ons disposed adjacent to'the underside of the top plate and a plurality of longitudinally extending reinforcing ribs disposed between adjacent pairs of the attachment portions and spaced from the underside of the top plate, means securing the attachment portions to the underside of the top plate and to the underside of the adjacent one of the attachment flanges, an apron assembly arranged adjacent to the underside of the top and including longitudinally extending front and rear aprons and a pair of laterally extending side aprons all disposed within the outer periphery of the depending side flange, the front and rear aprons each having a mounting flange on the upper side thereof and disposed respectively against the longitudinally extending attachment portions, means securing the mounting flanges to the underside of the associated attachment portions to mount the apron assembly upon the top, and

ice

a plurality of legs respectively secured to the apron assembly to support the table upon an underlying support surface.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide an improved table of the type set forth wherein the front and rear aprons are connected to the side aprons by attachment brackets and the legs are detachably secured to the attachment brackets.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved table of the type set forth wherein the mounting flanges on the front and rear aprons are disposed against and are secured to the outermost ones of the longitudinally extending attachment portions.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved table of the type set forth wherein the mounting flanges on the front and rear aprons are disposed against and secured to longitudinally extending attachment portions spaced inwardly from the front and rear table edges with at least one reinforcing rib disposed between the apron mounting flanges and the table top side flanges.

Further features of the invention pertain to the particular arrangement of the parts of the table and the table top and apron assembly, whereby the above-outlined and additional features thereof are attained.

The invention, both as to its organization and method of construction, together with further objects and advantages, will best be understood by reference to the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a first form of table made in accordance with and embodying the principles of the present invention, the table top extending a small distance beyond the outer edge of the apron assembly;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the table of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the apron assembly forming a part of the table of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view in vertical section through the apron assembly of FIG. 3 along the line 4-4;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged bottom view with certain parts broken away of the table of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 6 is a view in vertical section through the table of FIG. 5 along the line 6-6 thereof;

FIG. 7 is a view in vertical section through the table of FIG. 5 along the line 7-7 thereof;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the upper end of a leg forming a part of the table of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 9 is an exploded view showing one corner of the apron assembly and the parts utilized to secure a leg thereto, the parts being viewed from the top thereof;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary view on a further enlarged scale in horizontal section through the corner of the table of FIG. 2 as seen along the lines 10-10 thereof;

FIG. 11 is a front elevational view of a second form of table made in accordance with and embodying the pri-ciples of the present invention, the table top extending a substantial distance beyond the outer edge of the apron assembly;

FIG. 12 is an end elevational view of the table of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is an enlarged bottom view with certain parts broken away of the table of FIGS. 11 and 12;

FIG. 14 is a view in vertical section through the table of FIG. 13 along the line 14-14 thereof; and

FIG. 15 is a view in vertical section through the table of FIG. 13 along the line 15-15 thereof.

Referring first to FIGS. 1 through 10 of the drawings, there is illustrated a table made in accordance with and embodying the principles of the present invention.

The table 100 includes a table top 101 beneath which is mounted an apron assembly 200 supported by four legs 300, one of the legs 300 being disposed in each of the four corners of the generally rectangular apron assembly 200 and each having a foot 305 at the lower end thereof. Further details of construction of the table 101 will be described with particular reference to FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 of the drawings, wherein it will be seen that the table top 101 includes a generally flat top plate 102 of sheet metal, the top plate 102 being generally rectangular in shape and having the corners thereof formed square, the periphery of the top plate 102 being essentially the same as the periphery of the table top 101. Disposed beneath the top plate 102 and extending around the periphery thereof is an edging 103 also formed of sheet metal, a substantially flat piece of sheet metal having been deformed to provide an attachment flange 104, a side flange 105, a mounting flange 106, an inturned flange 107 and lower trim mounting flanges 108 and 111. More specifically, the attachment flange 104 is d rsidc of the top Plate 1 2 but i Also disposed on g the underside of the top plate 102 is 1 vl m 1 I 1 l l l a reinforcing sheet 140 formed from a substantlai y at piece of sheet metal bent to provide attachment portions 141, ribs 142 having side walls 143, and connecting portions 144 at the outer periphery thereof. The attachment portions 141 are disposed toward the underside of the top plate 102, there being a body of mastic 145 applied therebetween through which a weld 146 is made. The side walls 143 extend downwardly from the attachment portions 141 to form the ribs 142 which are spaced from the underside of the top plate 102. The connecting portions 144 are offset from the underside of the top plate 102 to accommodate therebetween portions such as the attachment flanges 104 on the edging 103, the three layers mentioned being connected as by welding.

Disposed on the upper surface of the top plate 102 is a covering 125 preferably formed of a synthetic organic resin, the preferred materials being those sold under the trademarks Textolite, Micarta and Formica. An adhesive is applied both to the upper surface of the top plate 102 and to the lower surface of the covering 125 to provide a good bond therebetween, the preferred adhesive being a synthetic rubber resin adhesive of the contact type such as that sold under the trademark D500 by Armstrong Cork Company, the two parts being oven heated to about 200 F. to drive off the volatile ingredients in the adhesive.

To complete the table top 101, a lower decorative trim 115 is provided around the periphery of the lower portion of the edging 103 and an upper decorative trim 130 is provided about the edge of the top plate 102. Referring first to the lower trim 115, it will be seen that the trim 115 includes a main wall 116 which is disposed below the flanges 108 and 111, the main wall 116 having integral therewith an upwardly directed decorative side wall 117 having a generally concave outer surface and carrying on the upper end thereof an integral and inwardly extending mounting flange 118 adapted to engage on the trim holding flange 108. The inner edge of the main wall 116 carries an upstanding integral inner wall 119 having on the upper end thereof an inwardly directed mounting flange 114 that overlines the upper edge of the inner flange 111. The two mounting flanges 114 and 118 cooperate to hold the decorative lower trim upon the trim holding flanges 108 and 111 on the lower edge of the edging 103, the trim 115 being formed as two pieces that extend completely around the periphery of the associated table top 101. The preferred materials of contruction of the trim 115 are synthetic organic plastic resins, one preferred material being an acrylonitrileabutadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS) such as those sold under the trademarks Abson, Kralastic and Cycolac, another preferred material being high-impact polystyrene.

The upper trim is preferably formed of sheet metal, the preferred material being stainless steel. A single sheet of metal is bent to provide an outer Wall 131 and a mounting tongue 135. As illustrated, the outer wall 131 is disposed generally vertically and extends inwardly to contact the edge of the covering 125. The lower edge of tbtc outer Wall 131 extends downwardly at least to the top 0 t1: edging 103 and carrias t ercon t 1: mounting;

thereof an upwardly directe g g ll'll l" "l l "i it t lll llll i ll oune a 121C611 0 eat all 0 6 ii angle bracket 210 (see FIG. 4 also) including an attachment flange 211 suitably secured as by welding to the main wall 202 adjacent to the upper edge thereof and on the inner side thereof; integral with the lower edge of the attachment flange 211 is an inwardly directed flange 216 overlying and disposed substantially parallel to the bottom flange 204, the flanges 204 and 216 having attached thereto attachment brackets 250 as will be explained more fully hereinafter. Formed on each end of the flange 216 are reinforcing deformations 217.

Spaced from the outer ends of the front and rear aprons 201 are the side aprons 220, the side aprons 220 also being identical in construction whereby like reference numerals have been applied to both throughout the drawings. Each of the side aprons 220 includes a main wall 222 (see FIG. 6) that is disposed vertically during the use of the table and lies in a plane that is normal to the main walls 202. The upper edge of the main wall 222 carries an inwardly directed top flange 223 that in use is disposed against and bears against the underside of the ribs 142, and the lower edge of the main wall 222 carries an inwardly directed bottom flange 224, the inner edge of the bottom flange 224 carrying an upwardly directed reinforcing flange 225.

The adjacent ends of the front and rear aprons 201 and the side aprons 220 are interconnected by means of attachment brackets 250, the details of construction of one of the attachment brackets 250 being best illustrated in FIGS. 3, 9 and 10 of the drawings; four of the attachment brackets 250 are provided, each formed identical to the other, and accordingly, only one will be described in detail and like reference numerals applied to like parts throughout the drawings. The attachment bracket 250 lncludes a main wall 251 which is generally rectangular in shape and carries on the outer shorter sides thereof vertically arranged reinforcing flanges 252, the flanges 252 being disposed at an obtuse angle of approximately 133 with respect to the main wall 251. There further is provided an inwardly directed reinforcing rib 253 that is disposed substantially midway between longer sides of the main wall 251 and continues outwardly onto the reinforcing flanges 252 to form a very strong structure. Integral with the upper longer edge of the main wall 251 is a top wall 255 which extends therefrom in the same direction as the reinforcing flanges 252 but is disposed substantially normal thereto. The lower longer edge of the main wall 251 carries an inwardly directed bottom wall 258 thereon.

As may be best seen in FIGS. 3, 5, 9 and 10, one of the attachment brackets 250- is disposed at the juncture of the ends of the side aprons 220 with the associated front and rear aprons 201, the top wall 255 and the bottom wall 258 more particularly being disposed between the top wall 223 and the bottom wall 224 of the associated side apron 220 and between the bottom wall 204 and the bracket wall 216 on the front and rear aprons 201, the various adjacent walls being suitably secured together as by welding at points 236. The described interconnection completes the apron assembly 200 and provides an extremely rigid construction thereof. As will be best seen in FIG. 3, the adjacent ends of the various aprons are spaced apart at the corners to form essentially rectangular recesses which are to receive the adjacent upper end of a leg 300 therein as will be described more fully hereinafter.

The thus completed apron assembly 200 is assembled to the underside of the associated table top 101 and is secured thereto by welding. More specifically, the mounting flanges 203 on the upper edges of the front and rear aprons 201 are disposed against the longitudinally extending attachment portions 141 on the table top 101 and are secured thereto by welds 146 (see FIG. 7). Referring to FIG. 6, it will be seen that the top flanges 223 on the side aprons 220 bear against the lower surfaces of the ribs 142 on the table top 101 but are not otherwise secured thereto. It will be seen therefore that the only connection between the apron assembly 200 and the table top 101 is the welded connection between the mounting flanges 203 and the attachment portions 141, and specifically the outermost ones of the attachment portions 141, i.e., those disposed outwardly toward the adjacent edging 103.

The legs 300 for the table 100 are mounted thereon by attachment to the brackets 250. Referring particularly to FIGS. 5, 8, 9 and 10 of the drawings, it will be seen that each of the legs 300 is essentially square in cross section and includes four identical side walls 301 joined to form a hollow tubular leg 300 of essentially square cross section. Aflixed to each of the legs 300 adjacent to the upper end thereof is a pair of mounting studs 302 that extend outwardly at a corner thereof, the axis of each of the studs 302 being disposed at an angle of 135 with respect to the adjacent side wall 301.-The studs 302 are spaced apart vertically a distance equal to the vertical spacing of the openings 261 in the attachment brackets 250, whereby the studs 302 are readily inserted therethrough. The outer surfaces of the studs 302 further are threaded for reception of an internally threaded nut 303 and an associated lock washer 304 used in mounting the leg 300 on the associated attachment bracket 250.

There further is disposed between each of the legs 300 and the associated attachment bracket 250 a corner spacerv 310 formed of sheet metal and shaped to provide a pair of right angularly disposed main walls 311 and a pair of vertically extending side flanges 312, the juncture of the main walls 311 having a pair of openings 313 thereat to receive therethrough the studs 302 on the associated leg 300. Referring particularly to FIGS. and of the drawings, it will be seen that each leg 300 fits within the essentially square opening formed by spacing apart the adjacent ends of the front and rear aprons 201 and the side aprons 220, the corner spacer 310 being disposed between the adjacent side walls of the leg 300 and the adjacent ends of the front or rear apron 201 and the adjacent side apron 220, respectively, the side flanges 312 of the corner spacer 310 overlying the adjacent edges of the apron main walls 202 and 222, respectively. The mounting studs 302 extend through the aligned openings in the corner spacer 310 and the attachment bracket 250 and receive on the outer ends thereof the associated lock washer 304 and the associated nut 303, thereby firmly to mount the associated leg 300 upon the associated attachment bracket 250. It will be seen that the outer surfaces of the leg 300 are disposed substantially in the same plane as the outer surfaces of the associated apron main walls 202 and 222, as the case may be.

Referring now to FIGS. 11 through 15 of the drawings, there is illustrated a second preferred form of table 400 made in accordance with and embodying the principles of the present invention, the table 400 having a substantially greater overhang around the periphery thereof as compared to the table described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 10. The table 400 includes a table top 401 beneath which is mounted an apron assembly 500 supported by four legs 600, one of the legs 600 being disposed in each of the four corners of the generally rectangular apron assembly 500 and each having a foot 605 at the lower end thereof. Further details of construction of the table top 401 will be described with particular reference to FIGS. l3, l4 and 15 of the drawings, wherein it will be seen that the table top 401 includes a generally flat top plate 402 formed of sheet metal, the top plate 402 being generally rectangular in shape and having the corners thereof formed square, the periphery of the top plate 402 being essentially the same as the periphery of the table top 401. Disposed beneath the top plate 402 and extending around the periphery thereof is an edging 403 also formed of sheet metal, a substantially flat piece of sheet metal having been deformed to provide an attachment flange 404, a side flange 405, a mounting flange 406, an inturned flange 407 and trim mounting flanges 408 and 411. More specifically, the attachment flange 404 is disposed against the underside of the top plate 402 but is spaced inwardly with respect to the outer edge thereof, the outer edge of the attachment flange 404 carrying thereon the mounting flange 406 which is offset downwardly away from the underside of the top plate 402. As illustrated, the side flange 405 is integral with the mounting flange 406 and depends therefrom and is disposed substantially normal thereto. There is provided on the lower edge of the side flange 405 a lower trim mounting member including the inturned flange 407 carrying on the inner edge thereof a first integral outer trim holding flange 408 and an upwardly directed inner trim holding flange 411. Preferably the edging 403 is formed as two pieces and is secured to the top plate 402 by welding at the attachment flange 404, the abutting edges of the edging 403 being located at the midpoints of the shorter top sides and also being welded to each other to form seams therebetween.

Also disposed on the underside of the top plate 402 is a reinforcing sheet 440. formed from a substantially fiat piece of sheet metal bent to provide an attachment portion 441, ribs having side walls 443, and connecting portions 444 at the outer periphery thereof. The attachment portions 441 are disposed against the underside of the top plate 402, there being a body of mastic 445 therebetween through which a weld 446 is made. The side walls 443 extend downwardly from the attachment portions 441 to form the ribs 442 which are spaced from the underside of the top plate 402. The connecting portions 444 are offset from the underside of the top plate 402 to accommodate therebetween portions such as the attachment flanges 404 on the edging 403, the three layers mentioned being connected as by welding at 446.

Disposed on the upper surface of the top plate 402 is a covering 425, preferably formed of a synthetic organic resin, the preferred materials being those sold under the trademarks Textolite, Micarta and Formica. An adhesive is applied both to the upper surface of the top plate 402 and to the lower surface of the covering 425 to provide a good bond therebetween, the preferred adhesive being a synthetic rubber resin adhesive of the contact type such as that sold under the trademark DOO by the Armstrong Cork Company, the two parts being oven heated to about 200 F. to drive off the volatile ingredients in the adhesive.

To complete the table top 401, a lower decorative trim 415 is provided around the periphery of the lower portion of the edging 403 and an upper decorative trim 430 is provided about the edge of the top plate 402. Referring first to the lower trim 415, it will be seen that the trim 415 includes a main wall 416 that is disposed below the flanges 408 and 411, the main wall 416 having integral therewith an upwardly directed decorative side wall 417 having a generally concave vertical outer surface and carrying on the upper end thereof an integral and inwardly directed mounting flange 418 adapted to engage on the trim holding flange 408. The inner edge of the main wall 416 carries an upstanding integral inner wall 419 having on the upper end thereof an outwardly directed mounting flange 414 that overlies the upper edge of the inner flange 411. The two mounting flanges 414 and 418 cooperate to hold the decorative'lower trim 415 upon the trim holding flanges 408 and 411 on the lower edge of the edging 403, the trim 415 extending around the entire periphery of the associated table top 401. The preferred materials of construction of the trim 415 are synthetic organic plastic resins, one preferred material being an acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS) such as those sold under the trademarks Abson, Kralastic and Cycolac, another preferred material being highimpact polystyrene.

The upper trim 430 is preferably formed of sheet metal, the preferred material being stainless steel. A single sheet of metal is bent to provide an outer wall 431 and a mounting tongue 435. As illustrated, the outer wall 431 is disposed generally vertically and the upper end thereof extends over the edge of the covering 425 and the lower edge thereof extends downwardly at least to the top of the edging 403 and carries thereon the mounting tongue 435 that is resiliently held between the top plate 402 and the mounting flange 406.

Mounted beneath the table top 401 and extending substantially around the entire periphery thereof but substantially recessed inwardly with respect thereto is the apron assembly 500, the details of construction thereof being best illustrated in FIGS. 13 to 15 of the drawings. The apron assembly 500 is made up of a plurality of individual aprons suitably interconnected including a pair of spaced apart aprons 501 extending longitudinally of the table 400 and referred to hereinafter as the front and rear aprons, and a pair of side aprons 520 disposed laterally of the table 400 and interconnecting the opposed ends of the aprons 501. The aprons 501 are identical in construction one to the other, and therefore like reference numerals have been applied to like parts throughout and only one of the aprons 501 will be described in detail. The apron 501 includes a main wall 502 (see FIG. 15) having at the upper edge thereof an outwardly directed longitudinally extending mounting flange 503 and on the lower edge thereof an inwardly directed bottom flange 504, the bottom flange 504 carrying on the inner edge thereof an upturned reinforcing flange 505. It will be understood that in use the front and rear aprons 501 have the main walls 502 thereof disposed parallel to each other and arranged generally vertically with the mounting flanges 503 extending outwardly therefrom and with the bottom flanges 504 thereof extending inwardly toward each other.

Spaced from the outer ends of the aprons 501 are the side aprons 520, the side aprons 520 being identical in construction whereby like reference numerals have been applied to both throughout the drawings. Referring to FIG. 14, it will be seen that each of the side aprons 520 includes a main wall 522 that is disposed vertically during the use of the table 400 and lies in a plane that is normal to both the main walls 502. The upper edge of the main wall 522 carries an inwardly directed top flange 523 disposed beneath and lying against the ribs 442, and the lower edge of the main wall 522 carries an inwardly directed bottom flange 524, the inner edge of the bottom flange 524 carrying an upwardly directed reinforcing flange 525.

The side aprons 520 are connected to adjacent ends of the front and rear aprons 501 by means of four attachment brackets 550, see FIG. 13. The attachment brackets 550 are identical in construction to the attachment brackets 250 described above, and accordingly like reference numerals in the 500 series are applied to the corresponding parts. It further is pointed out that each of the front and rear aprons 501 is provided at each end with an angle bracket 510 which is identical in construction to the angle bracket 210 described above, whereby like reference numerals in the 500 series have been applied to corresponding parts thereof. In the construction of the apron assembly 500, one of the attachment brackets 550 is disposed at the juncture of the ends of the side aprons 520 and the associated front and rear aprons 501, and the overlapping flanges are suitably secured to each other as by welding at points 556. The described interconnection completes the apron assembly 500 and provides an extremely rigid construction thereof.

As will be best seen in FIG. 13, the adjacent ends of 1 the various aprons are spaced apart at the corners to form essentially square recesses which receive the adjacent upper end of a leg 600 therein. The legs 600 are identical in construction to the legs 300, whereby like reference numerals in the 600 series have been applied to corresponding parts throughout, and likewise a corner spacer 610 is provided identical in construction to the corner spacer 310, described above, whereby like reference numerals in the 600 series have been applied to corresponding parts thereof.

In order to interconnect the apron assembly 500 to the table top 401, the mounting flanges 503 on the aprons 501 are disposed between adjacent pairs of the longitudinally extending ribs 442 and against the attachment portions 441 disposed therebetween. Welds as at 446 are made to connect the mounting flanges 503 to the attachment portions 441. In this arrangement, it will be noted from FIGS. 13 and 15 that one of the ribs 442 is disposed between the apron 501 and the table top edging 403, whereby to provide a significant overhang of the table top 401 with respect to the apron assembly 500. In the construction, the top flanges 523 of the side aprons 520 bearing against the undersurface of the ribs 442 disposed between the aprons 501, the flanges 523 bearing against the ribs 442 but not otherwise being secured thereto.

Fundamentally, the tables and 400 are formed of sheet metal with the exception of the several parts mentioned in the course of the above description. Furthermore, the sheet metal forming the various parts is of relatively light gauge, as will be appreciated from the following examples of the gauge of the sheet metal utilized to form the various parts of the tables 100 and 400. For example, in a typical illustrative embodiment of the table tops 101 and 401, the top plates 102 and 402 are formed of 20 gauge steel, the edgings 103 and 403 are formed of 18 gauge steel, and the reinforcing sheets and 440 are formed of 24 gauge steel. In illustrative examples of the apron assemblies 200 and 500, the front and rear aprons 201 and 501 are formed of 18 gauge steel, the side aprons 220 and 520 are formed of 18 gauge steel, the angle brackets 210 and 510 are formed of 18 gauge steel, and the attachment brackets 250 and 550 are formed of 14 gauge steel. Each of the legs 300 and 600 is formed of 16 gauge sheet steel formed to the shape illustrated; the corner spacers 310 and 610 are formed of 22 gauge steel.

From the above description it will be seen that there has been provided an improved table which fulfills all of the objects and advantages set forth above. More specifically, there has been provided an improved table formed essentially of sheet metal that is simple in construction and economical in manufacture. The improved tables 100 and 400* include respectively an improved table top 101 and 401 having substantially fiat top plates 102 and 40 2, edgings 103 and 403 extending around the periphery respectively of the top plates 102 and 402 and disposed adjacent to the underside thereof, the edgings 103 and 403 each including an inwardly extending attachment flange 104 and 404 respectively and a dependent side flange 105 and 405 extending downwardly therefrom, welds interconnecting the attachment flanges 104 and 404 and the respective top plates 102 and 402 at points spaced inwardly with respect to the outer periphery of the top plates 102 and 402, reinforcing sheets 140 and 440 respectively disposed adjacent to the underside of the top plates 102 and 402 and within the edgings 103 and 403, the reinforcing sheets 140 and 440* each including a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart attachment portions 141 and 441 disposed adjacent to the underside of the top plates 102 and 402 and a plurality of longitudinally extending reinforcing ribs 142 and 442 disposed respectively between adjacent pairs of the attachment portions 141 and 441 and spaced from the underside of the top plate 102 and 402, welds securing the attachment portions 141 and 441 to the underside of the top plates 102 and 402 and to the underside of the adjacent one of the attachment flanges 104 and 404, apron assemblies 200 and 500 arranged respectively to the underside of the tops 101 and 401 and including longitudinally extending front and rear aprons 201 and 501 and pairs of laterally extending side aprons 220 and 520 all disposed within the outer periphery of the associated depending side flanges 105 and 405, the front and rear aprons 201 and 501 each having a mounting flange 203 and 503 on the upper side thereof and disposed against respective ones of the attachment portions 141 and 441, welds securing the mounting flanges 203 and 503 to the underside of the associated attachment portions 141 and 441 to mount the associated apron assemblies 200 and 500 upon the respective tops 101 and 401, and a plurality of legs 300 and 600 respectively secured to the apron assemblies 200* and 500 to support the tables 100 and 400 upon underlying support surfaces.

It is preferred that the front and rear aprons 201 and 501 have the ends thereof spaced from the side aprons 220 and 520 and that a plurality of attachment brackets 250 and 550 be disposed therebetween and secured thereto for connecting the aprons one to the other to form the apron assemblies 200 and 500. The apron assemblies and associated table tops can be so dimensioned and arranged that the front and rear aprons may be attached either to the outermost attachment portions as illustrated in FIGS. 1 to of the drawings to provide a moderate overhang of the table top 101 beyond the apron assembly 200, or the parts may be so dimensioned and arranged that the mounting flanges on the front and rear aprons are disposed inwardly a greater distance and within the outermost reinforcing ribs 442 as is illustrated in FIGS. 11 to 15 of the drawings to provide a substantial and greater overhang around the periphery of the table 400.

While there have been described what are at present considered to be certain preferred embodiments of the invention, it will be understood that various modifications may be made-therein, and it is intended to cover in the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A table comprising a top including a substantially flat top plate, an edging extending around the periphery of said top plate and disposed adjacent to the underside thereof, said edging including an inwardly extending at- LU tachment flange and a dependent side flange on the outer edge thereof and extending downwardly therefrom, means interconnecting said attachment flange and said top plate at points spaced inwardly with respect to the outer periphery of said top plate, a continuous reinforcing sheet disposed adjacent to the underside of said top plate and being substantially coextensive with the area of said top plate within said edging, said reinforcing sheet including a plurality of longitudinally extending spaced apart attachment portions disposed adjacent to the underside of said top plate and a plurality of longitudinally extending reinforcing ribs disposed between adjacent pairs of said attachment portions and spaced from the underside of said top plate, means securing said attachment portions to the underside of said top plate and to the underside of the adjacent one of said attachment flanges, an apron assembly arranged adjacent to the underside of said top and including longitudinally extending front and rear aprons and a pair of laterally extending side aprons all disposed within the outer periphery of said depending side flange, said front and rear aprons each having a mounting flange on the upper side thereof and disposed against respective ones of said attachment portions, means securing said mounting flanges to the underside of the associated attachment portions to mount said apron assembly upon said top, and a plurality of legs respectively secured only to said apron assembly to support said table upon an underlying support surface.

2. The table set forth in claim 1, wherein said top plate and said edging and said reinforcing sheet and said apron are all formed of sheet metal, said attachment flange and said top plate are interconnected by welding, and said attachment portions are secured to the underside of said top plate and to the underside of the adjacent one of said attachment flanges and to the adjacent one of said mounting flanges by welding.

3. The table set forth in claim 1, wherein the side flange of said edging extends downwardly a distance at least equal to the distance that said reinforcing ribs are disposed from said top plate.

4. The table set forth in claim 1, wherein a body of mastic is disposed between each of said attachment portions and the underside of said top plate.

5. The table set forth in claim 1, and further comprising a covering for said top plate extending over the entire upper surface thereof and secured thereto, and a trim extending around the periphery of said top plate and covering the outer edge of said top plate and at least a portion of the outer edge of said covering.

6. The table set forth in claim 1, wherein said top and said apron assembly are essentially rectangular in shape, and said legs are disposed in the corners of said apron assembly.

7. The table set forth in claim 1, wherein said apron assembly has recesses in the periphery thereof shaped complementary to said legs for receiving the upper ends of said legs therein.

8. A table comprising a top including a substantially fiat top plate, an edging extending around the periphery of said top plate and disposed adjacent to the underside thereof, said edging including an inwardly extending attachment flange and a dependent side flange on the outer edge thereof and extending downwardly therefrom, means interconnecting said attachment flange and said top plate at points spaced inwardly with respect to the outer periphery of said top plate, a continuous reinforcing sheet disposed adjacent to the under side of said top plate and being substantially coextensive with the area of said top plate within said edging, said reinforcing sheet including a plurality of longitudinally extending spaced apart attachment portions disposed adjacent to the underside of said top plate and a plurality of longitudinally extending reinforcing ribs disposed between adjacent pairs of said attachment portions and spaced from the underside of said top plate, means securing said attachment portions to the underside of said top plate and to the underside of the adjacent one of said attachment flanges, an apron assembly arranged adjacent to the underside of said top and including a longitudinally extending front apron and a longitudinally extending rear apron and a pair of laterally extending side aprons all disposed within the outer periphery of said depending side flange, a plurality of attachment brackets disposed between the adjacent ends of said aprons within the periphery thereof and secured thereto and securing said aprons one to the other, said front and rear aprons each having a mounting flange on the upper side thereof and disposed against respective ones of Sald longitudinally extending attachment portions, means securing said mounting flanges to the underside of the associated attachment portions to mount said apron assembly upon said top, and a corresponding plurality of legs respectively detachably secured to said attachment brackets to support said table upon an underlying support surface.

9. The table set forth in claim 8, wherein said legs are substantially square in cross section and the corners of said apron assembly have complementarily shaped recesses disposed therein for receiving said legs, whereby the outer surfaces of said legs are substantially flush with the outer surfaces of the adjacent ones of said aprons.

10. The table set forth in claim 1, wherein the mounting flanges on said front and rear aprons are disposed respectively against the outermost ones of said attachment portions and are spaced a short distance inwardly from the adjacent ones of said attachment flanges.

11. The table set forth in claim 1, wherein said side aprons are fixedly secured to said front and rear aprons and have the upper sides thereof bearing against the underside of said reinforcing ribs.

12. The table set forth in claim 1, wherein the mounting flanges on said front and rear aprons are disposed respectively against longitudinally extending attachment portions spaced inwardly from the respective front and rear edges of said table top with at least one of said reinforcing ribs disposed between each of said mounting flanges and the adjacent side flange.

13. A table comprising a top including a substantially flat top plate, an edging extending around the periphery of said top plate and disposed adjacent to the underside thereof, said edging including an inwardly extending attachment flange an a dependent side flange on the outer edge thereof and extending downwardly therefrom, means.

interconnecting said attachment flange and said top plate at points spaced inwardly with respect to the outer periphery of said top plate, a reinforcing sheet disposed adjacent to the underside of said top plate and within said edging, said reinforcing sheet including a plurality of longitudinally extending spaced apart attachment portions disposed adjacent to the underside of said top plate and a plurality of longitudinally extending reinforcing ribs disposed between adjacent pairs of said attachment portions and s aeecl from the undersi of Said top plate, said attachment por to the undemide th f t the upper side th reof and disposed against resp ectiv e gn es of said longitudinally extending attachment portions, means securing said mounting flanges to the underside of the associated attachment portions to mount said apron. assembly upon said top, a corresponding plurality of legs respectively detachably secured to said attachment interconnecting said attachment flange and said top plate at points spaced inwardly with respect to the outer periphery of said top plate, a reinforcing sheet disposed adjacent to the underside of said top plate and within said edging, said reinforcing sheet including a plurality of longitudinally extending spaced apart attachment portions disposed adjacent to the underside of said top plate and a plurality of longitudinally extending reinforcing ribs disposed between adjacent pairs of said attachment portions and spaced from the underside of said top plate, means securing said attachment portions to the underside of said top plate and to the underside of the adjacent one of said attachment flanges, an apron assembly arranged adjacent to the underside of said top and including a longitudinally extending front apron and a longitudinally extending rear apron and a pair of laterally extending side aprons all disposed within the outer periphery of said depending side flange, a plurality of attachment brackets disposed between the adjacent ends of said aprons within the periphery thereof and secured thereto and securing said aprons one to the other, said front and rear aprons each having a mounting flange on the upper side thereof and disposed against respective ones of said longitudinally extending attachment portions, means securing said mounting flanges to the underside of the associated attachment portions to mount said apron assembly upon said top, a corresponding plurality of legs each having a pair of longitudinally spaced apart studs secured adjacent to the upper end thereof and extending outward-1y therefrom, each of said attachment brackets having a pair of openings therein receiving said studs therethrough, and fasteners engaging said studs for securing each of said legs to the associated one of said attachment brackets.

15. A table comprising a top, an apron assembly arranged adjacent to the underside of said top and including a longitudinally extending front apron and a longitudinally extending rear apron and a pair of laterally extending side aprons all disposed within the outer periphery of said top, a plurality of attachment brackets disposed between the adjacent ends of said apron within a periphery thereof and secured thereto and securing said aprons one to the other, said front and rear aprons each having a mounting flange on the upper side thereof and disposed against the underside of said top and secured thereto to mount said apron assembly upon said top, a

corrresponding plurality of legs respectively detachably secured to Said attachment brackets for supporting said table upon an underlyin SupPOxt surface, and

' 'vcly luding a c 1:1 c ly 13 jacent to the apron end thereof and extending outwardly therefrom, each of said attachment brackets having a pair of openings therein receiving said studs therethrough, and fasteners engaging said studs for securing each of said legs to the associated one of said attachment brackets. 5

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,153,946 9/1915 Ohnstrand 108-156 X 1,240,390 9/19-17 Uhl 108-155, 10 1,690,286 11/ 1928 Fitch et a1. 108153 1,705,784 3/1929 Sandman 52623 X 1,760,036 5/1930 Bellows 108-153 2,098,453 11/1937 Jane et a1. 211-135 X Jones et a1. 52-623 Reitzel 52-623 Morgan et a1. 52-623 Franks 108 Knuth 108-156 Simkins 248188 Hamilton et a1 108-453 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain.

DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner. JAMES T. MCCALL, Examiner. 

1. A TABLE COMPRISING A TOP INCLUDING A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT TOP PLATE, AND EDGING EXTENDING AROUND THE PERIPHERY OF SAID TOP PLATE AND DISPOSED ADJACENT TO THE UNDERSIDE THEREOF, SAID EDGING INCLUDING AN INWARDLY EXTENDING ATTACHMENT FLANGE AND A DEPENDENT SIDE FLANGE ON THE OUTER EDGE THEREOF AND EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY THEREFROM, MEANS INTERCONNECTING SAID ATTACHMENT FLANGE AND SAID TOP PLATE AT POINTS SPACED INWARDLY WITH RESPECT TO THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF SAID TOP PLATE, CONTINUOUS REINFORCING SHEET DISPOSED ADJACENT TO THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID TOP PLATE AND BEING SUBSTANTIALLY CO-EXTENSIVE WITH THE AREA OF SAID TOP PLATE WITHIN SAID EDGING, SAID REINFORCING SHEET INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING SPACED APART ATTACHMENT PORTIONS DISPOSED ADJACENT TO THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID TOP PLATE AND A PLURALITY OF LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING REINFORCING RIBS DISPOSED BETWEEN ADJACENT PAIRS OF SAID ATTACHMENT PORTIONS AND SPACED FROM THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID TOP PLATE, MEANS SECURING SAID ATTACHMENT PORTIONS TO THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID TOP PLATE AND TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE ADJACENT ONE OF SAID ATTACHMENT FLANGES, AN APRON ASSEMBLY ARRANGED ADJACENT TO THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID TOP AND INCLUDING LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING FRONT AND REAR APRONS AND A PAIR OF LATERALLY EXTENDING SIDE APRONS ALL DISPOSED WITHIN THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF SAID DEPENDING SIDE FLANGE, SAID FRONT AND REAR APRONS EACH HAVING A MOUNTING FLANGE ON THE UPPER SIDE THEREOF AND DISPOSED AGAINST RESPECTIVE ONES OF SAID ATTACHMENT PORTIONS, MEANS SECURING SAID MOUNTING FLANGES TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE ASSOCIATED ATTACHMENT PORTIONS TO MOUNT SAID APRON ASSEMBLY UPON SAID TOP, AND A PLURALITY OF LEGS RESPECTIVELY SECURED ONLY TO SAID APRON ASSEMBLY TO SUPPORT SAID TABLE UPON AN UNDERLYING SUPPORT SURFACE. 